Vehicle theft is a major crime problem, especially in urban areas. One contributing factor to this problem is the ease with which stolen vehicles or their parts can be recycled in the marketplace. As is well known, manufacturers place or engrave a so-called vehicle identification number (VIN), which is unique to the particular vehicle, on the engine and all major parts to facilitate identification. The VIN is sometimes identified on the vehicle title, which is normally a conventional paper document issued by the particular governmental authority having the appropriate jurisdiction over the vehicle. The other standard vehicle identifier is the vehicle's license plates. Currently, titles, VIN's and license plates are quite unrelated to each other, thereby contributing to the ease with which an unauthorized party can recycle a stolen car.
There has therefore been a long-felt need to overcome these and other problems associated with securing documentation associated with personal or real property.